Promise undone
by ClaireLewis
Summary: Aerith tries to communicate with the Planet while Zack is on the mission. Will she bring Zack a message from beyond upon his return or will the fate decide that some things are not meant to cross the border of life and death?


Aerith felt that something was wrong, yet she did not exactly know what. Zack was currently in Modeoheim, not very far away from her birthplace, the Icicle Inn. She wondered, when would he come back and spend more time with her. Even if this thought was a tiny little bit selfish, she enjoyed it. She felt emotionally connected to Zack and wanted to be close to him at all times. Even if it wasn't possible. She couldn't keep him away from missions or protect him in any way, she acknowledged that and that was also the reason behind her sadness.

She held a small pale green Materia in her hands, remembered her mother, Ifalna. Even now, after all these years she could not possibly guess what the materia was even supposed to do, it was as useless for now as it's always been. Yet Aerith never even tried to get rid of it, it was the last thing that reminded her of who she was, the legacy of the Cetra. She always had this Materia near her so that she could protect it, as her mother told her to. She went to the marketplace and bought some food, as usually, it was not a great deal to do. It was just an ordinary day for the young Cetra. Until she arrived to the church, which was like her second home. There, something unusual happened. She knew a day like this would come, sooner or later, she knew that she couldn't run from this forever. She couldn't stop it, it just happened.

She sensed somebody's death, a soul somehow dear and close had returned to the planet, Aerith was afraid to find out who it was.

Slowly, silently she walked up to the flower bed like she always did. And she listened to the voice of the sould that had just entered the Lifestream.

It was a male voice, quite a deep one, filled with sadness and regret, she could not really understand the words, thoughts of the dead person, it filled her with fear. But she managed to catch one word…

Zack.

It was someone… dear to him. And Aerith thought, just for a moment that she could probably hear him out, even if she was afraid. As she moved even closer to the flower bed, she felt astonishing, overwhelming sadness, it made her feel dizzy and stumble on her feet. She fell on he knees letting the grocery products roll on the church floor. She buried her hands in the ground and communicated with the Planet. She asked that soul about the reason of his sadness. She asked him about Zack.

She remembered the few times she tried to communicate with the planet like that, it was never really succesful, she would only gain basic informations like who the person was and the cause of their death. Nothing more, not even once.

This time, it was different, even more painful than when she found out that her step mother Elmyra's husband was dead, even more painful than when she got to know that her friend's parents were murdered.

She saw a hazy scene, probably the town of Modeoheim, she though that there would be nothing more for her to see when suddenly the scene sharpened and concentrated on one detail. White feathers, scattered all around, some of them still falling from the sky, slowly floating towards the ground.

There, on the floor of an old bathhouse, she saw Zack and a man she didn't know. Zack's sword was still in blood. This man died by Zack's hand, and it reminded Aerith the reason why she was afraid of SOLDIERs. They fought and they loved it, they were not afraid to kill. Zack killed monsters without any hesitation but she could never imagine him killing another person. Even so, he did it. And she was the one to witness it now. She saw Zack stand up and take a heavy sword from that man, then, he pressed the blade to his forehead and cried. A moment had passed, Zack dropped down the sword and kneeled by that man, Aerith could now see the corpse better.

A corpse of a well-built man, dressed in ShinRa's SOLDIER uniform, similar to Zack's. His hair was dark, with a shade of grayish-silver, not caused by age but by degradation on a cellular lever.

Zack took the cold hand and pressed his forehead to the unmoving chest, as if he could still protect his friend.

Aerith remembered Zack talking in his sleep about how he wants to help out a friend but he doesn't know how. Another person walked int o the scene and she reckognized it was Tseng of the Turks. He told Zack that they had to go but Zack didn't move until his friend's body dissolved into the particles of green light. He cried his name out, it was so painful to witness that, it was a scream full of pain and sadness, Aerith could swear on her life that she felt physical pain by just listening to this.

And she knew that this time when Zack returns, there will be no happiness.

It was the first time since her childhood when she tried and communicated with the Planet, her body fell limply on the flower bed since it would take too much energy to stay awake now.

She found herself enveloped by the light, pale green like the Materia she got from her mother. She saw water's surface, realized she was standing on it, next to a man… a dead man. Zack's friend, the one he failed to protect. White wings were growing from his back, giving him unearthly appearance. Angel wings and SOLDIER uniform… such contrast was a shock for young Cetra. She approached him slowly, not afaid to walk on the water, as if it was normal like walking on the ground. And as she ventured nearer, she realized that the man's body was slightly transparent, unlike hers. For the first time in her life, she was able to understand her role as a Cetra, ho she was special… She was able to connect to the Planet without actually dying and that's what made her unique. Yet she wanted more, not just communicate but also… understand. Realize. Aerith was unsure, could she follow Zack's friend and somehow talk to him, give Zack a message? Or would it be too much, some things were meant to stay where they are yet she took the risk.

An act of selfishness, such an unusual thing for a Cetra, she did not think about Zack or his possible reaction, she did not think of dangers of the lifestream, she just walked, reached out for the answers. If she could somehow solace Zack upon his return, it was her only chance.

The man turned and faced her as soon as he felt her presence. Something snapped deep inside Aerith's soul, she reckognized the color of the sky, she thought about Zack.

She realized that what she was doing was… wrong. She should not inerrupt a soul that was on its way towards the lifestream, even if this way was hard, no one should help the dead out, merely because of the fact that they are, well, dead.

She wanted to comfort the man, even if it was just for Zack. She never reached his hand but instead she encountered a deluge of memories, flooding into her head like crashing waves.

Those memories were not hers.

Angeal's.

 _She saw Zack, he could be about twelve years old, dressed in ShinRa infantry uniform, standing in front of this man, listening to a lecture about dreams and honor, that was their first meeting._

 _Then, more scenes appeared before her eyes, she witnessed every single training they had, every evening when Zack knocked on his mentor's door and asked for advice, every assignment, finally reaching the mission in Wutai, once scene was shaper than the others, tears running down Angeal's face, flames reflected in the salty drops. She knew that this was the moment Angeal betrayed Zack, that he had given up on honor and dreams he once talked so eagerly about. She witnessed him wander away with someone, also dear to him._

 _Genesis Rhapsdos._

 _All those memories, every single moment showed the unique bond between Angeal and Zack, not only a usual bond between a mentor and his apprientice, it was something more. Friendship, as for Zack but for Angeal it was something… different. He did not really consider Zack as his friend._

 _Angeal's dream was to protect Zack, to be someone important for him. He loved Zack, even if it was nothing romantic. For him, Zack, or 'his puppy', was a part of his family, a soulmate and someone to take care of. The bond between them was unique and strong, maybe even stronger from the one she had with Fair._

Angeal had shown his love for Zack in a way as complicated as the feeling itself, protecting him, avoiding him, and in the end, desire to die by his student's hands. Aerith could never truly know what was it like to love someone in so many ways, to share so many different moments. Mentor and student. Brothers in arms, best friends, soulmates… Family.

„Take care of him" she heard Angeal's voice, breaking down in silent sobs „Take care… of my puppy… Because I… I no longer can…"

„Done." She answered briefly „And you… you should go and don't worry about Zack. I'll take care of him." Aerith hesitated for a moment, sice she was just a weak Cetra, not a SOLDIER like Zack „I promise" she added, more for herself than for Angeal.

Angeal was nowhere to be seen now, yet Aerith heard his voice from the heart of the Planet.

 _Daughter of Ifalna, you have my thanks._

It was the first time she helped a soul reach the Lifestream. And she wished for it to be the last one as well, she knew why.

It was hard for a soul to connect to a lifestream if it was bound to a living body, and so, it was considered almost impossible for living to help out the dead. Before waking up, she found herself in the darkness, felt slow heartbeat… her own, like very slow and shallow breath. Her eyes snapped open, as her heart fell into aching arythmia, she was alive, in the church and then she saw the door open up. And she knew that the only man she loved had returned. After this… intimate, on a spiritual lever of course, encounter with Angeal she knew well what Zack could've felt. When her brave SOLDIER saw a white feather falling from the sky, he bursted out in tears.

And she understood, she did not say a word, just embraced him gently. She knew his sadness but did not say a thing about her encounter with Angeal. It would only worsen things. Right now she had to focus on keeping Zack by her side, no matter what.

Now she knew how dangerous the assignments given to the first-Class SOLDIERs were and she knew she would not let him go anywhere too far.

She promised Angeal to keep Zack safe and she won't break her promise.

She will protect him.

At all cost.


End file.
